A little food for thought today. It is NOT meant to offend anyone - the purpose is to get you thinking in a different direction.

Birthday Cakes! Did you ever wonder where/why the birthday cake tradition started? I did, so this morning I dug a little, you can dig too and maybe find something entirely different. I'd love to hear if you do!

It is no secret that my Mother was diabetic, she is no longer with us on this earth and I will tell you that the last several years of her life were not enjoyable - not for her, and not for her family. Each year on her birthday I refused to bake or buy her a birthday cake, for several reasons. The main reason was that it wasn’t a TREAT for her – she ate sweets of some kind, treats every day. A birthday celebration should be something special, something you don’t have every other day of the year, or on a regular basis (meaning weekly, monthly, often). So my siblings and I tried to find other ways to celebrate her birthday with fruit and vegetables to try to show her (and us) that a celebration could include “good” food and not just food that spikes your blood glucose then requires calculations of carbohydrate overloads and shots of insulin. I should recognize here that a celebration also includes the gathering of family and sometimes close friends – I get that!

This morning I dug a little. The origin of the birthday cake according to Tokenz indicates the birthday cake can be traced back to Ancient Greece. Interesting – right? So think about Ancient Greece and the food available then. Do you think refined sugars and wheat flours were the same then as they are now – or even existent? I highly doubt it! So, it’s been pounded in my head not to provide a problem or issue without an idea for resolution. I’ve seen this watermelon "cake" on social media and have heard that while it may take some time (and really what birthday cake doesn’t) it is GOOD and very much worth the time. And, another baked option would be something like Simple Blueberry Lemon Birthday Cake. These are just two ideas to substitute something different for the traditional birthday cake. In my opinion, there is no end to what a birthday celebration could entail.

Over the past decade or so I've given much thought to quality of life. When I look at the strength and quality of life of people 50, 100, 150 years ago to the strength and quality of life of people today I'm not sure we are doing the right thing. I have told my family that if I am ever in a position that my life is dependent on machines, medicine, artificial blood cleansing - I am not interested, I don't want to live that way. For me now, I want to be strong enough to run with my grandsons, scoop them up if I want to and hear their squeal of delight or loud complaint, I want to be strong enough to hold up and ride my own motorcycle, I want to be strong enough to walk up and down stairs, I want to go out of this life leaving reminders of a strong woman.
I am very much disturbed by processed food. I don't try to force my beliefs on anyone, I try to provide information so that you all can form your own opinions.
The article attached arrived in my inbox ... I started reading it, had to move to something else and then go back to reading it...a couple times. I'm providing it for you to browse, to think about, to form your own opinion. And, the next time you shop for food, read the labels - can you pronounce the ingredients? If you can't pronounce the ingredient, do you know what it is? Do you fully trust your life with the company that produced that food? REALLY!
http://www.naturalnews.com/043995_human_civilization_processed_food_stealth_war.html

I've not kept this a secret, I openly talk about it... On June 15, 2007, I had Roux en-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery. It was a decision required for my health - blindness did not appeal to me, and oh so much more. I also will tell you that there continues to be NOTHING easy living with having this surgery. IT IS A TOOL, like all tools it must be used appropriately. The things I've learned!!!

Along my journey I found exercise, moving this body to build muscle, finding and feeling the muscles that were there all along, THE STRESS RELIEF --- OH THE STRESS RELIEF. One of the things that, to this day, amazes me is the weight that this frame (skeleton, bones if you will) had to lug around every day. When I pick up a 45 pound dumbbell to row that heavy weight - I am reminded that was not even a third of the weight this body had to lug around every minute of every day. I cannot explain the emotion!

There are two things I'd like to leave you with here: 1) Don't wait until tomorrow - you will be one step closer to your goal if you just do it today; 2) There is no magic cure for anything - it all comes from work no matter how you look at it. It's the goal you have to keep in mind and every effort is so worth it!

I was recently asked to describe my workouts. I kinda liked what I put together and I thought that maybe there are more people not quite sure what a workout with me might include.

My workouts are bootcamp style where we all work hard but there is no barking of instruction, I just don't have that in me. While none of the workouts are exactly alike, because I like to keep from being stuck in a rut, an example of a workout would include some of the following:

bi cep curls

hammer curls

dips

jumping jacks

mountain climbers

plank

t-stands

pull ups

push ups

hip raises

suicides (sprints across the gym)

farmer's runs (carry weights and run around the gym)

lunges

lunges with a kick

squat thrusts

burpees

We do some AMRAPs (As Many Rounds As Possible) in a specified amount of time. AMRAPs give participants an opportunity to work at their own pace (they can push hard, or they can take it a little easy).

We do some tabata (bursts of quick followed by short amounts of rest) - this helps improve endurance and stimulate fat loss.

We do circuits where we either work in the fitness center and incorporate some of the "machines" that are available into our workout or we bring some equipment up to the gym. These are where participants go from one station to the next for a specified period of time.

Rest assured that all my groups are encouraging, non-judgemental groups of people who come to get in a good sweaty workout - but please don't feel like any group/session is too advanced for you - THAT is not the case. We're all very much focused on getting a good workout. And, the workouts are open for men as well. I might add that I get great reviews from the gentlemen who have been participating. What better family event than to exercise together!

As far as weights, there is a range of weights available for use and if you are coming and come about 10 minutes early the first time we can see what will work best for you right now. Even, starting out, it is PERFECTLY acceptable to use no added weights. We can work that out - you just need to get there!

I'll leave with this! PLEASE, do not feel overwhelmed by all this. EVERY exercise can be modified (and I show the modifications) for any fitness level! I REALLY mean that. You should come not to compare how you are doing to anyone else. Come prepared for almost an hour of a good workout which is better than sitting at home on the couch.

If you've been thinking that personal training is more what you're looking for - I offer that as well. Personal training is geared more toward your personal goals.

I've changed the way I eat in the past 2 years. I've eliminated grains and sugar (artificial sweeteners included). I've talked about paleo diets, paleo way of eating - now I'm reading Practical Paleo - there are other books I've read; but, one thing has been in the back of my mind through all of this. I've seen, heard, read that paleo is eating like the cavemen ate. The thought I couldn't quite grasp was that the life span of cavemen wasn't very long. I've found an answer that makes sense to me in Practical Paelo (from the book):

Didn't Cavemen only live to be 30?

While the Paleo way of eating is not a replication of a caveman diet, let's shatter the myth about the life span of primitive humans. Their life span was based on several factors:

In the absence of modern medicine, infant mortality rates were high and estimated life span was based on an average of those who died at birth as well as those who lived long lives. It doesn't mean that every human alive in the Paleolithic era dropped dead at age thirty. In fact, those who lived to about age twenty went on to have an estimated life span closer to sixty years.

Deaths from infectious diseases were more common in the absence of modern medicine.

They were more vulnerable to predatory animals.

They were vulnerable to the elements due to inferior shelter.

I also found the following section very poignant:

Ask yourself these questions

Beyond your ethnic heritage, you can evaluate your upbringing and foundational nutrition (or lack thereof), as well as your genetic predispositions to health or disease to the best of your ability. Then, answer these questions regarding your current health status:

How do you feel most of the time?

What is the status of your physical fitness or athletic performance?

How is your body composition in terms of how much fat you have compared to muscle?

How are your moods?

Does your energy level fluctuate throughout the day?

How is your appetite?

Do you have food cravings? For sugar? For carbs? For salty or fatty foods?

Does your skin look healthy, clear, and glowing?

How is your vision?

How is your dental health?

Do you have regular bowel movements?

Have you been diagnosed with a specific health condition?

If you answered all of these questions positively, congratulations! You're in a very small minority, and you can skip ahead to the recipes later in the book. If you're like most people, you probably didn't give a positive answer to all of the questions, which means you would benefit from evaluating your current approach to health and nutrition in short order. Read on to learn more about how food works in your body to either work with or against what will naturally keep you in a state of optimal health with regards to your digestive function and blood sugar regulation. These two components are the keys to long-term, optimal health and well-being as they can drive your body's systems either in the right or wrong direction.

If you're interested in the book that I'm reading, it's a New York Times Bestseller:

Practical Paleo, Diane Sanfilippo, BS, NC

food photography by Bill Staley

foreword by Robb Wolf

Now, don't even think that I am telling you to go off and eat the paleo way - I'm don't comply 100% (I still eat dairy - cheese, yogurt). Remember this, I also don't care for the word "diet" which implies a temporary change. To gain lasting results you must make a change that you can live with for the rest of your life or you are going to continue the weight roller coaster you've been riding. Even if you are not trying to lose weight, following the paleo way of eating will make you feel better. Grains are inflammatory and can cause any number of chronic inflammatory conditions (can all be related to poor digestive function) like:

Acne

Allergies

Alzheimer's Disease

Anemia

Anxiety

Arthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis

Asthma

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)

Bloating

Cancer

Canker Sores

Celiac Disease

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Depression

Diverticulitis

Eczema

Fatigue, Lethargy

Gastric Ulcers

Heart Disease

Joint Pain and Disease

Liver Disease

Migraines

Mood Disorders

Multiple Sclerosis

Psoriasis

Diabetes (type 1 & 2)

Weight Gain

Weight Loss

(This is a partial list from Practical Paleo)

I encourage you to think outside the box, do some research for yourself, and give this a try. You may just feel better! If you have questions let me know.

Have you been eating salad after salad while trying to lose a few extra pounds, only to find that it's not working? I used to do that as well. I'll give you a few things to think about. 1) What protein do you include with your salad; 2) What fat are you enjoying with your salad?

First, the protein. Every body needs protein. You may ask what protein you can include in your salad, here's a few ideas: tuna, steak, chicken, shrimp, eggs, ham, turkey, pork. Who cares if it's unconventional, if you like it, include it in your salad.

Second, the fat. Every body needs fat. Some nutrients can only be absorbed with fat. Fat is digested more slowly by your body, it keeps you satisfied longer. Fat is flavorful, for example, butter tastes better (to most people) than margarine. A marbled steak tastes better ... what is that marble ... fat.

I'll offer you this...a LITTLE technical, read it several times. I'm taking this from my study guide for my Personal Fitness Trainer certificate: When eaten alone, carbohydrates (lettuce, vegetables) leave the stomach most rapidly (within one hour or faster), followed by protein (which takes about two hours) and then fat (taking three to five hours to leave the stomach). So the next time you decide to eat a salad, add some protein and a little fat (i.e, olive oil, canola oil).

I'll give you this from my personal experience. From time to time, I eat cottage cheese for a quick breakfast. I was eating fat-free cottage cheese, it didn't taste really good and I found that by mid-morning I was HUNGRY. Once I got past the "it has to be fat-free" mind block, I bought 2% or 4% cottage cheese - amazingly I was not hungry until lunch time. The fat in the cottage cheese kept me satisfied longer.

Don't take my word for it, give it a try yourself...add some good protein and fat to your next salad or meal.

I started this project over a year ago. I'm not a writer by any means, but often thought that if I could help motivate one person to make a change it would be worth sharing my story. I'm offering you a short (even thought it's not really short) explanation of why/how/what I've done in the past 6 years to be where I am today. The reason for Matis Fitness Quest.

I hope you find this motivating and what I hope you find most interesting is the change that occurred when I eliminated wheat and artificial sweeteners.

If you have questions feel free to contact me.

I would have to say that my journey began at a very young age. During my teens I hated my curves, I hated gym class, and I think I hated me.

I did everything I could to avoid gym class or anything to do with exercise – little did I know that very thing could have helped me with the issues I had with my curves.

I’ve always been a “curvy cut” girl…small waist with hips that are just the opposite. I always felt out of place, like people were looking at me. I was so insecure. And I hated gym class – I was not in the popular crowd and what I remember the most was the ever present “team picking.” I wasn’t (and still am not) very coordinated and didn’t know anything of the rules of the sports we played in gym class. My family never followed sports so just thinking about playing any sport was out of my league. Combine lack of coordination, lack of knowledge, and lack of popularity I was usually picked for teams very close to last – how humiliating. When I was 19 I had a baby, it was the best thing that happened to me, I’ll always have a part of me in my son; and I love him more than I can ever begin to say. Well, you know what happens to a woman’s body when it does what it is meant to do – have a baby – it gets curvier, I was no different. This did little to help me with my body image. And I had no idea how to go about exercising or eating right. And so began my battle with weight.

I tried diet pills, Weight Watchers, fad diets of all kinds, starving myself, almost anything you can think of – I tried. Buying clothes was depressing – changing clothes was depressing. I was depressed. My weight was like a roller coaster – up and down countless times for years! I really battled every day – different battles at different times of my life. At one point I purchased a weight bench and at another time an exercise bike. I worked at the weight bench for a while but the only instruction I had was the manual that came with it I had no idea the correct way to lift. I got discouraged because I wasn’t seeing any results. Then the exercise bike came along and I got up really early every day to ride it, I pedaled 10 miles almost every morning. I saw some results but got bored pedaling in one place every day, sure I read some books while I was pedaling, but I just got bored. So I stopped. My weight loss also stopped.

In 1997 I started experiencing excruciating headaches every day. I felt like my eyes were going to pop out of my head – little did I know how real that feeling was. I went to the doctor and we tried various treatments for the headaches. I suffered with these headaches for almost two years, did I mention that I had these headaches every single day, my head hurt when I got up in the morning, my head hurt when I went to sleep at night. During a routine visit at my eye doctor in November 1998, my optometrist noticed that my optic nerves were swollen. He asked me some additional questions and ordered a visual fields test which showed enlarged blind spots in both eyes. He gave me an initial diagnosis of pseudo-tumor cerebri, explained that if we did not get this under control I would go blind, and referred me to see a specialist at Geisinger in Danville. I was scared beyond belief and took this very seriously. It turned out the cause of pseudo-tumor cerebri is obesity. I weighed over 250 pounds. What happens with pseudo-tumor cerebri is the spinal fluid your body produces to protect your brain builds up and causes excessive pressure in your head. The only place for pressure to release in your head is your eye sockets, so the pressure builds on your optic nerves and they swell which can result in blindness. The only “cure” is to lose weight, take anti-diuretics to control fluid, and/or have spinal tap(s) to drain excess spinal fluid. I did them all. I lost 70 pounds by counting calories and half starving myself eating salad after salad (oh how I got sick – physically sick of salad), took medication (for fluid and pain), and had two spinal taps to eliminate excess spinal fluid. I did not exercise. The pseudo-tumor cerebri went into remission. I relaxed and again started eating everything I wanted and lead a sedentary life. All the while, I continued to see my optometrist every 6 months to watch for changes.

By 2006 I had gained back all of the 70 pounds I had lost plus more. What I now understand as the addiction to wheat and sugar kept calling. I had not changed my habits, just postponed them beyond the scare of losing my sight. I loved heavy dense bread smothered with butter, and potato chips. I would buy a loaf of heavy dense rye bread, slice it, toast it, smother it with butter and eat the whole loaf in one day. I would buy a big bag of potato chips and eat the whole bag in one sitting. I was addicted to carbohydrates – to the sugar effect they cause. By this time I weighed 288 pounds, and the doctor told me I was morbidly obese. I remember the first time a doctor described me as being morbidly obese, I was devastated and when I dug into the definition of that term I felt even worse. A simple definition of morbid obesity is the condition of weighing at least twice the ideal weight. For my height of 5’5” I was well over twice the ideal weight. During a visit with my primary care physician we discussed weight loss surgery. He offered to give me a referral for a visit to the Obesity Clinic at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville. I took him up on the offer.

With the support of my husband and son and after doing some hard soul searching, I decided to start the process to have Roux en-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery. I entered Geisinger’s program for gastric bypass patients. It is a 6 month program and there are goals that must be met along the way: You have to lose 10% of your body weight during these 6 months (which was 29 pounds for me), pass a psychiatric evaluation, attend support group meetings, and change your eating habits, along with so much more.

One of the things I did, thanks to my sister, was started going to a local gym – she wanted a workout partner for encouragement, accountability, and to help reduce the cost. We had two sessions each week where a trainer ran us through various weight machines and either a treadmill, elliptical, or stationary bicycle for a cardio workout. I started to like the way this was making me feel. I was losing weight and proceeding through the 6 month gastric bypass program with flying colors.

During the 6 month program toward by-pass surgery I asked my husband to go with me to all the doctor appointments, I knew I wouldn’t/couldn’t remember everything and two sets of ears are better than one. It was a trying 6 months and I continued going to my workout sessions with my sister. In fact, I did so well that I lost about 60 pounds during those 6 months. During this time I was counting calories which was something that I had done so many times before and hated with a passion. The only thing that made this bearable was the knowledge that I was doing it a final time.

On June 15, 2007, the surgery was done laporascopically with 5 small incisions. After two weeks of recovery at home, a liquid diet for a month, soft foods for two weeks I eventually was told I could eat anything I wanted – but I had to chew every bite to the consistency of applesauce. I can’t completely describe the emotions I was feeling: excitement and fear both at the same time. My husband stuck by me through all of it. He reminded me to chew every bite to the consistency of applesauce when he noticed I was not (there are times this continues to be an issue for me). The importance of chewing this much is because the opening from the pouch (think stomach the size of an egg) created by the surgery is the size of a pencil eraser. If I don’t chew thoroughly food gets stuck and then I’m in pain for hours. Let me just say at this point, this surgery is a tool – not a cure. There is nothing easy about having this surgery.

When I finally was able to eat food, I had more lessons to learn. Along with chewing food to the consistency of applesauce, if I didn’t stop eating with that very bite that made me feel full I would be sick for hours. There are some foods that make my very “gassy” (gas is a natural thing that happens to everyone, but for me it was torture as you’ll see). Immediately after surgery I used protein shakes as a means to consume 60 grams of protein every day. I searched for a protein mix that was not packed with sugar – because one of the side effects of this surgery is called “dumping.” Dumping is caused by sugar alcohols in the blood and for me was – well basically – extreme diarrhea – the kind that if you’re not close to a toilet the result can be devastating. This protein mix, along with the oranges and bananas I was eating created gas. According to the doctors I was seeing every month or so, I was eating well, still losing weight, things were progressing well. Within a year I had discovered some things about the way my system handled this surgery: my stomach doesn’t “growl” like a normal stomach does when it’s empty, it cramps causing excruciating pain; certain vegetables (cabbage, brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, sweet peppers, cucumbers, etc.) cause gas for me and more than a bite should be avoided at all costs.

During this first year I was not exercising much, I had stopped going to the gym with my sister. My place of employment started offering bootcamp sessions after work, each session lasted 6-8 weeks. These sessions were lead by a trainer from a local gym. A friend of mine was gun-ho about these bootcamp sessions and we signed up together. The price kept increasing and we didn’t feel like we were benefiting much so we didn’t re-enlist. I, again, stopped exercising, but I kept losing weight and progressing as the doctors expected.

About a year and a half after my surgery I was experiencing excruciating pain in the area of my stomach. I doubled over with pain. My husband took me to our local emergency room. They weren’t equipped to treat gastric bypass patients, searched for reasons for the pain but couldn’t identify it. I was in pain if I moved and I could not go to work so I ended up going on short-term disability. I do not remember how long it took (weeks), but I eventually got an appointment to see the surgeon who performed my Roux en-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery. After more tests, they determined that I had a Peterson’s Space Hernia, only a small percentage of patients get this hernia. (According to the International Journal of Surgery a “Petersen's space hernia is caused by the herniation of intestinal loops through the defect between the small bowel limbs, the transverse mesocolon and the retroperitoneum, after any type of gastrojejunostomy. The laparoscopic approach facilitates the occurrence of this type of hernia, due to the lack of post-operative adhesions which prevent bowel motility and hence, herniation.”) In short, when the surgery is performed a stitch is made to hold the rerouted intestines in place, sometimes the stitch lets loose causing a Peterson’s Space Hernia. To fix this they had to go back in through 5 small incisions (laporascopically), move my intestines back to where they were supposed to be and restitch them in place. Through this episode I was off work for about 8 weeks, and again stopped exercising.

Again, I recovered as expected. At some point (I don’t remember the month) after this hernia repair a group of friends were signing up for these bootcamp sessions that were again offered at my place of employment, I signed up again. Again, the price kept increasing, and I felt like I wasn’t getting enough for my money. But, I was moving, I was exercising, I was enjoying the way it was making me feel.

We have a local publication called the “Grapevine” and I kept seeing a little advertisement for Women’s Bootcamp sessions being held close to my home and was less costly than the bootcamp sessions after work. After seeing this ad for about 4 months, in October 2009, I called the phone number. Little did I know what making that phone call would do for me. Stress was building up from all directions – I needed to find something to relieve that stress.

I was so completely blown-over and put at complete ease by the woman who answered my call. She described herself as a very tall, woman who loves to give hugs, and just wants to help people be fit and vibrant. She and I talked about what I was looking for and she welcomed me to come work out with her during her bootcamp sessions. She stressed that there is no judgment by anyone and that there were just women in the group. I started going to Blueberry Hill Academy Fitness bootcamp sessions, with Joan Karp. Initially, I went to bootcamp twice a week and that felt good enough. I was noticing changes that didn’t happen when I was paying for those pricey bootcamp sessions, I felt good. There was a point where I fell into that old habit for just a while and didn’t go to bootcamp, can’t say why - I just didn’t go for about 3 weeks. During that last week of “slacking off” my supportive husband asked me, “Did Joan offend you?” My reply was, “No, why?” To which he answered, “I just wondered, you need to go back to bootcamp.” So, of course the hairs on the back of my neck started to tingle and I asked, “Why?” He said, “It makes you a nicer person!” I had to laugh, and that’s been a laughing point for us ever since. Seriously, the man was right. I FEEL BETTER when I workout, it DOES make me a nicer person, it is a means for me to relieve stress.

I started going to EARLY morning and some evening bootcamp sessions with Joan. At the same time, I was noticing MORE benefits of exercising, I was firming up, my arms were getting some definition and I NEVER thought they’d “recover” from being SO large. Joan had mentioned to me a time or two that I should think about being a trainer, she thought that I’d be good at it. My mother-in-law and sister-in-law kept telling me that “if it weren’t so far away” they’d go to bootcamp with me. I had an idea, I had time on my hands. One afternoon I bounced it off my husband. IF I took bootcamp to my mother-in-law and sister-in-law they could no longer use the “if it weren’t so far away” excuse, I could see if I really liked being a trainer, and I got to exercise MORE. So being the supportive man he is, he said, “I don’t know, let’s go see.” So we went to Bellefonte (that’s where they live…about 20 miles from our home). I proposed the idea to my mother-in-law, she was excited, and my sister-in-law was excited. So on June 1, 2011, we began two bootcamp sessions a week in my mother-in-law’s yard. There were times that there were 5 or 6 family members joining in, sometimes a couple friends even joined in. They sweated, I loved it, they loved it! When it rained we moved to her kitchen, when the mosquitoes started gnawing on us we moved to her kitchen. It was good, they were noticing changes, and it was good!

Joan kept nudging me, planting seeds, to become a trainer, I was still training my in-laws – I loved it! I had done some research on getting certified to be a trainer. I was nervous to spend the money, so I stayed in that little comfort zone I had built up and didn’t move forward. Then one day, a co-worker asked me if I was a trainer…because I had been talking about it. I had to swallow a lump and tell her the truth … that I was not, but had a goal to become certified. THAT was the little push I needed. I ordered the program, began studying, and studying (which is something I had not done to that extent in 30 years). I was finding it a little difficult to remember all the things I needed to remember. Then in November 2011 Joan put up a little challenge to eliminate wheat and sugar. I accepted. I had not been eating sugar for years but I was using artificial sweeteners. I eliminated wheat and the artificial sweeteners. It took about a month, then one day I realized that the things I was studying were just sticking in my head…my brain was like a sponge. It was something that I’d known for a long time, that artificial sweeteners are not good for you, they do nasty things to your brain and your body. But I had not pushed myself to quit using them before this challenge. So eliminating the sugar and artificial sweeteners didn’t seem like a big deal, but it reaped huge results. Eliminating wheat was something new to me. I was not eating bread, hadn’t for years, but I was eating pretzel nuggets, club crackers, cheese crackers, a LOT. I learned to replace this mess with WATER. I hadn’t been drinking enough water on a daily basis.

I was loving the way I was feeling. I felt stronger, I felt more confident, I felt good! I took the test for my certification and passed! It took a few months of the no wheat/no sugar dietary changes until I noticed HUGE differences. I was getting lean, my muscle definition was becoming more noticeable. I dropped my pants size from a 10 to a 2 in about 3 months – all from eliminating wheat. Because of this challenge I no longer eat grains or consume sugar or artificial sweeteners. I eat lots of meat, vegetables (being very careful to avoid a lot of gassy vegetables), some nuts, and very limited fruits (they are a natural sugar). I’ve learned to think before I put food in my mouth (most of the time if I feel the urge to eat something I’m really thirsty and a nice glass of ice water is what I need). I am not perfect, I still fight the urge to eat tons of potato chips – I think of where I’ve been in this quest, how I’ve worked so hard to be where I am now, and I don’t want to lose that progress … again.

I started a business: Matis Fitness Quest. I offer private training sessions, I have group fitness sessions at my home, at Old Gregg School in Spring Mills, and at work. I am excited to see where my quest will take me.

I am so GLAD I have taken so many LITTLE steps to get to where I am today. I am on a quest and I look forward to where this quest will take me.

Special thanks go to:
My husband, Todd
My son, Drew, the reason I want to be a healthy mother
My Trainer and Good Friend, Joan Karp of Blueberry Hill Academy Fitness
My Mother-in-Law, Sandy who has been one of my biggest supporters
My Sister-in-Law, Betsy who has been there since the beginning
And, it wouldn’t be fair not to mention Mom, because if it weren’t for her, I may not have the drive I feel today. I do NOT want my son to have to live with a mother who could be healthier by eating good food and exercising.

A certified Personal Fitness Trainer, NESTA 1/2012. A former morbidly-obese woman, successfully maintaining a weight loss of 150 pounds since 2007 as a result of hard work and incorporating fitness into everyday life, it is a continuous quest. Always evolving skills in helping others and myself achieve vibrant, healthy lives through fitness. Offering private and group fitness sessions in the Penns Valley and surrounding areas.